A prime minister's Rural Development (PMRD) Fellow and his companion from Mumbai, a Congressman who was a former Zila Parishad president and a government medical officer are among ten persons booked for aiding Naxalites in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra in connection with two separate incidents.
Six of the 10 have been arrested, two are being traced and police are questioning PMRD Fellow Mahesh Raut from Brahmapuri in Chandrapur district and his "partner" Harshali Poddar from Virar, Mumbai. Police said they have refrained from arresting Raut and Poddar until there's "solid ground to act against them".
According to police, two of the arrested men are Naxals — Pramod Pungati and Sunil alias Bandu Hichami of the Gatta dalam. Their questioning made police bring in Raut and Poddar.
The Naxals were held from Koinvarshi village in Etapalli tehsil Friday in a special operation based on inputs provided by dalam member Shivaji alias Chaitu Pada, arrested earlier in connection with the murders of Lloyd Steel vice-president Jaspal Singh Dhillon, mining contractor Mallikarjun Reddy and Surjagarh village police patil Raju Sadmek earlier this month.
Raut and Poddar were spotted by police in Koinvarshi but were let off after they identified themselves as "researchers". They were later intercepted past midnight near Aheri while on a motorcycle. Police said one of the arrested Naxals revealed that Raut and Poddar were with them in Koinvarshi as part of a programme to go into the forest to meet senior Naxal leaders.
Poddar and Raut were have been under the police scanner for some time. Last month, Poddar, while accompanying Raut to the Etapalli hearing of Jindal Steel's proposed iron ore mining project near Surjagarh, was seen protesting against the project, police said.
"Our men spotted the two at Koinvarshi. They said they were from Tata Institute of Social Sciences and were doing some research work. We let them go. The two Naxals, who were collecting funds in the village, later told us that Poddar and Raut were also going to accompany them to the forest where senior Naxal leaders Narmada and Ramko were waiting. So, we intercepted their bike near Aheri and detained them for questioning," Superintendent of Police Suvez Haq said.
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